American Express Members Week is happening from March 17-21, and it’s the perfect time to take full advantage of your American Express credit card reward perks. Whether you have a Personal Platinum, Gold, Business Platinum, or Business Gold card, these premium credit cards offer incredible value, especially when used strategically. While the annual fees may seem high, the benefits can far outweigh the cost—helping you save and even make money through statement credits, travel perks, and Membership Rewards® points.
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American Express Personal Platinum vs. Gold: Luxury vs. Everyday Rewards
The Platinum Card® from American Express
- Annual Fee: $695
- Best for: Luxury travel, airport lounge access, and statement credits.
Top Benefits:
✔ $200 Airline Fee Credit (for incidental fees on one selected airline). You need to enroll on your preferred airline. The easy way to “hack” this perk is by buying two flights of less than $100 on either delta or Southwest airlines and after 24 hours cancel the flight and receive flight credit to use later. The third option, which is what I use, is adding funds to my United Airlines travel bank that I later use to purchase flights.
✔ $200 Hotel Credit (on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel).
✔ Walmart+ Monthly Membership Credit ($12.95 per month after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership).
✔ $200 Uber Cash ($15 per month, plus a $35 bonus in December). If you don’t ride Uber often, that’s not a problem. I use this credit on Uber Eats to pick up food when I don’t want to cook.
✔ $240 Digital Entertainment Credit (for services like The New York Times, Peacock, and Disney+).
✔ $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit (for faster security clearance at airports).
✔ $300 Equinox Credit (for select Equinox memberships or Equinox+ digital subscriptions). Equinox locations are limited, making this perk hard to redeem for some of us. But if you know you are traveling to one of the cities that do have an Equinox you could schedule a spa service like a facial to redeem this perk.
✔ $100 Saks Fifth Avenue Credit ($50 semi-annually).
✔ Access to The Centurion Lounge, Delta Sky Clubs, and Priority Pass lounges.
✔ 5X points on flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel (on up to $500,000 per year).
How to Make the Annual Fee Worth It:
If you use all the available statement credits ($200 airline, $200 Uber, $240 entertainment, $189 CLEAR, etc.), you can recoup over $1,000 in value—more than offsetting the $695 fee. Plus, Membership Rewards points can be transferred to travel partners for luxury redemptions, making this card a must-have for frequent travelers.
American Express® Gold Card
- Annual Fee: $325
- Best for: Foodies, dining, and everyday spending.
Top Benefits:
✔ 4X points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year, then 1X).
✔ 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel.
✔ $120 Dining Credit ($10 per month at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, and more).
✔ $120 Uber Cash ($10 per month for Uber Eats or rides).
✔ $100 Resy Credit ($50 semiannually to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants).
✔ $84 Dunkin’ Credit ($7 per month at U.S. Dunkin Locations). I like to load $7 every month on my Dunkin’ app and once I have enough funds, I treat my coworkers with a box of donuts. The other way I like to redeem this perk is by getting ice cream at Baskin Robins located at Dunkin’
How to Make the Annual Fee Worth It:
If you maximize the $424 in annual dining and Uber credits, you already offset the $325 fee. Plus, with 4X points on dining, you can rack up points quickly, making this one of the best cards for everyday spending.
American Express Business Platinum vs. Business Gold: Maximizing Business Spending
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- Annual Fee: $695
- Best for: High-spending business owners who travel frequently.
Top Benefits:
✔ 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel.
✔ 1.5X points on purchases over $5,000 on select business categories (on up to $2M per year).
✔ $200 Airline Fee Credit.
✔ $400 Dell Technologies Credit ($200 semi-annually). Dell sells more than computers. A common favorite is buying headphones. I personally have used mine to purchase a home security system and camera accessories.
✔ $360 Indeed Credit ($90 per quarter).
✔ $150 Adobe Credit ($12.50 per month).
✔ $120 Wireless Credit ($10 per month).
✔ $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit (for faster security clearance at airports).
✔ Access to Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass, and Delta Sky Clubs.
✔ $200 Hilton Credit ($50 credit per quarter on purchases at Hilton) I like to redeem mine for Hilton gift cards to use later for hotel stays. Another way to “hack” this benefit is to purchase a gift card at Starbucks located inside a Hilton property.
✔ $200 Hilton Credit ($50 credit per quarter on purchases at Hilton) I like to redeem mine for Hilton gift cards to use later for hotel stays. Another way to “hack” this benefit is to purchase a gift card at Starbucks located inside a Hilton property.
How to Make the Annual Fee Worth It:
By using all the business statement credits, you can recoup over $1,000 in value—making the $695 fee a smart investment for business owners who travel often and spend heavily in eligible categories.
American Express® Business Gold Card
- Annual Fee: $375
- Best for: Business owners looking for high earning potential on select categories.
Top Benefits:
✔ 4X points on the top two spending categories each billing cycle on select business categories (up to $150,000 per year, then 1X).
✔ 25% Airline Bonus when booking flights through Amex Travel with points.
✔ $240 Flexible Business Credit ($20 per month on eligible business expenses like FedEx, Grubhub, and office supplies).
✔ Walmart+ Monthly Membership Credit ($12.95 per month after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership). Even if you don’t need a Walmart+ membership, you could use the Paramount+ streaming service that is included with it.
How to Make the Annual Fee Worth It:
By maximizing the $395 business credit and earning 4X points on top spending categories, this card can easily pay for itself while helping you earn a ton of Membership Rewards points.
The Power of American Express Membership Rewards for Travel
One of the best aspects of an American Express credit card reward is the Membership Rewards program. These points can be redeemed for flights, hotels, and even transferred to top airline and hotel partners like Delta, ANA, Emirates, Marriott, and Hilton for outsized value.
For example, transferring 85,000 Amex points to Iberia can get you a round-trip business class ticket to Madrid worth over $5,000! Using these rewards wisely can unlock first-class travel experiences without breaking the bank.
Final Thoughts: Is an Amex Card Worth It?
Yes—if you maximize the benefits! Whether you’re a traveler, foodie, or business owner, an American Express card can save you thousands of dollars while giving you luxury perks.
With American Express Members Week (March 17-21) coming up, it’s the perfect time to evaluate your American Express credit card reward strategy and make the most of your benefits.
Which Amex card do you use the most? Let us know in the comments!
If you're just getting started with points and miles or don't want to pay a hefty annual membership fee, I recommend reading our article on the best credit cards for beginners.
Editorial note: The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and not of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or endorsed in any way by any of the entities included.